Iconic Sounds
- Chris
An article relating to the scientific impact of sound in the horror genre:
'From the screeching violins of Psycho to the crashing chords of Jaws, film-makers have long relied on disturbing soundtracks to heighten suspense and terror.
Now, scientists think they know why the music used in scary movies is so good at making our flesh creep.
They have shown that the harsh, discordant and unexpected sounds used in horror soundtracks imitate the screams of frightened animals.
By peppering chillers with these noises, movie makers are tapping into deep, instinctive fears, they say.
The study looked at a class of noises called 'non-linear' sounds.
These range from the sort of distorted notes that come from a hi-fi cranked up too high, to the squeal produced by blowing too hard into a trumpet.
Prof Daniel Blumstein, who led the study at the University of California, Los Angeles, studied the soundtracks of 102 of the world's most popular movies - from war films and dramas, to horror movies and adventure romps.
The study - which involved composer Peter Kaye at Kingston University, London - looked at the music in films, as well as special effects and screams.
The analysis showed that horror films had the most noisy female screams - while adventure films had the most screams from men.
Horror films also had an higher than expected number of abrupt shifts up and down in pitch, he reported in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.
Dramatic films had fewer than expected screams and lower pitched sounds than other genre of movie.
The study concluded that the use of these non-linear sounds was not random - but used to 'enhance the emotional impact of scenes'.
'Non-linearities are commonly produced when animals are under duress, such as the fear screams produced when animals are attacked by predators,' he said.
'In mammals, and possibly also in birds, when you push too much air through your larynx you produce these non-linear sounds and its a pretty unbluffable signal of fear,' he added.
'It may be that film makers intuitively realise that they can use these types of sounds.''[3]
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'For me, the sound design and the musical score is a big part of what makes scary movies work' - James Wan
- Natasha
Horror film trailers include an abundance of diegetic and non diegetic sounds, to try and create an eerie and creepy feeling for the audience watching, to try and frighten them. Lots of horror film trailers use similar sounds which suggest they are effective in scaring their audience. As well as this, sound is used to create pace so that the audience can feel suspense building from the start to the end of the trailer.
Doors
Above are two diegetic noises that are used frequently in horror film trailers. A creaking door creates a tense atmosphere for the audience watching, as it usually implies that a jumpscare is going to occur, so this would be more of a psychological scare, as it makes the audience think what is going to happen next. Whereas a slamming door is more of a jump scare, as the sound it produces is loud and is done to scare the audience. These sounds are used to scare the audience through atmospherical concern and shock.
Footsteps
Footsteps are a common diegetic sound used in horror film trailers, as they have the effect on the audience that someone is moving towards them, but the feet of the character on screen aren't displayed which creates a sinister feeling for the audience. Different footsteps create different feeling for the audience, for instance, if the footsteps are slow paced and echoed this generates a sense of uncertainty and nervousness, as the audience may be expecting something frightening to happen due to the lack of sound. In contrast, if the footsteps are fast paced this can create pace to the trailer but can also make the audience anxious because when footsteps are fast this usually mean tension is building up to something scary that is going to happen.
Wind
Wind in horror film trailer can be a key element in creating an eerie an ominous atmosphere for the audience. Wind gives the audience the information of the environment of the setting which can create suspense, as wind can usually be heard clearly in silent outdoor places. Wind on its own is spine-chilling as the audience will be thinking about what is going to happen next in the trailer which could well be a horrifying jumpscare. The wind can also be associated with whispering, and in some trailers wind is used when echoey voices are heard to try and scare the audience by creating a ghostly atmosphere, this is usually done in supernatural and psychological horror films.
Non-Diegetic Sounds
Non-diegetic sounds in horror film trailers are a key element in creating suspense, fear, nervousness etc. for the audience watching, in some way so they experience the characters emotions in the trailer. Soft non-diegetic sounds that are quiet and slow create a more calming feeling for the audience, implying that nothing is going to scare them, however some horror trailers deceive the audience by using quiet and soft sounds before a terrifying jumpscare. High pitch non-diegetic sounds that are fast and harsh to the ears create a sense of shock and can petrify the audience watching, they are usually used as a jumpscare is happening to heighten the reaction of the audience, so that they are even more scared.
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